Sunday, February 12, 2012

"The whole experience has been tough, but all the kind and strengthening words andwise thoughts from strangers made it much easier!" (Former Swedish Animal RightsPrisoner)

Welcome to the February 2012 edition of Spirit of Freedom. On the 2nd of February2012, American animal rights activist, Victor VanOrden, pleaded guilty to raiding amink farm and was sentenced to five years imprisonment. His wife Kellie has yet toenter a plea concerning the same charges. ELP does not have an address for Victoryet but if anyone knows where Victor is currently being held please contact ELP assoon as possible.

As always ELP aims to bring you the names and addresses of activists jailed aroundthe world. Not all of the prisoners listed in this newsletter are as famous or aswell known as some of the others who are also listed in the newsletter. However,all of the prisoners deserve our support and all welcome letters of support. Soplease, no matter where you are in the world, no matter what language you speak,support the eco-prisoners. And no compromise in defence of Mother Earth!

If anyone notices any of ELP's prisoner details is out of date or we do not list aprisoner who we should list, please let ELP know as soon as possible. ELP is run bya small group of volunteers and although we try to ensure our lists are accurate, weadmit we do make mistakes. So help us help keep the lists accurate by letting usknow of any changes we need to make.

ECO-DEFENCE PRISONERS

Grant Barnes #137563, San Carlos Correctional Facility, PO Box 3, Pueblo, CO 81002,USA. Serving 12 years for setting fire to a number of SUV vehicles. The letters ELFwere spray painted onto all of the vehicles. (Grant is a vegan).

Luca Bernasconi, Gefängnis Pfäffikon, Hörnlistrasse 55, 8330 Pfäffikon (ZH),Switzerland. Serving 3 years 6 months for possession of explosive materials. Lucais Swiss and is a known animal rights and prisoner support activist. Although notlinked to Il Silvestre himself, other defendants in this case are linked to IlSilvestre (Luca is a vegan)

Steve Murphy, 39013-177, FCI Beaumont Medium, Federal Correctional Institution, P.O.Box 26040, Beaumont, TX 77720, USA. Serving 5 years for Conspiracy to Commit Arsonfollowing an attempted arson at a town house construction site in 2006. The actionwas claimed under the banner of the ELF. (Steve is a vegan).

Costantino Ragusa, PF 3143, 8105 Regensdorf, Switzerland. Serving 3 years and 8months for possession of explosive materials. Costatino is an Italian linked to IlSilvestre. (Costatino is a vegan)

Michael Sykes 696693, Michigan Reformatory, 1342 West Main Street, Ionia, MI 48846,USA. Serving four to ten years for anti-sprawl arsons, criminal damage to a utilitypole, spray-painting political graffiti and burning the American flag. (Dietunknown)

Mel Broughton, A3892AE, HMP Bullingdon, PO Box 50, Oxford, OX25 1WD, England.Serving ten years for his active campaigning against vivisection carried out byOxford University. The police set him up and accused him of plotting an arsonagainst the University. (Mel is a vegan).

Adrian Magdaleno Gonzales (address unkown, jailed in Mexico – E-mail letters ofsupport to libertadparaadrian@hushmail.me). Serving 7 years 11 months fordetonating a gas bombs against various targets including banks and against targetswhose actions were claimed by the Frente de Liberación Animal (ALF). (Adrian is avegan).

Victor VanOrden (address unknown). Serving five years for raiding a mink farm.(Victor is a vegan).

Sarah Whitehead, A8369CE, HMP Downview, Sutton Lane, Surrey, SM2 5PD, England.Serving six years campaigning against Huntingdon Life Sciences. Was previouslysentenced to two years for: 1) rescuing a puppy from horrific conditions. 2)rescuing over 100 animals from a pet breeder who was later prosecuted for animalabuse. (Sarah is a vegan)

MOVEMOVE is an eco-revolutionary group who carried out protests in defence of all life.All move prisoners describe themselves as vegetarians. There are currently eightMOVE activists in prison each serving 100 years after been framed for the murder ofa cop in 1979. 9th defendant, Merle Africa, died in prison in 1998.

Mumia Abu Jamal, (AM8335), SCI Greene, 175 Progress Drive, Waynesburg PA 15370, USA.In 1981 Mumia, former Black Panther and vocal supporter of MOVE, was framed for themurder of a cop. He was originally sentenced to death but is currently awaitingre-sentencing following a court hearing in2001.

STATEMENT ON VIOLENCESome people listed in this newsletter have carried out violent actions includingassault and murder. 'Spirit of Freedom' does not condone violence. But we are alsoagainst censorship & believe people can decidefor themselves who they wish to support.

ABOUT E.L.P. SUPPORT NETWORKELP is an international eco-prisoner support network founded, in Britain, in 1993 tosupport jailed eco-activists. We support the prisoners by producing various regularprisoner lists:

Spirit of Freedom is ELP's international monthly prisoner listing which iscirculated by e-mail.

Urgent ELP! Bulletin is an e-mail service that distributes the names of any neweco-prisoner as soon as ELP gets their details. For more info e-mailELP4321@hotmail.com

On-Line Newsletters - ELP has a number of websites that provide news, prisoner listsand additional info about ELP & the prisoners.

ELP Extra is an e-mail group that circulates the details of political prisoners, ELPlearns about, who do not fall within the remit for support by ELP. To subscribe tothe list e-mail ELP4321@Hotmail.com

Break the Chains.info

is a news and discussion forum for supporters of political prisoners, prisoners of war, politicized social prisoners, and victims of police and state intimidation.

This blog is organized and updated autonomously of the disbanded Break the Chains Prisoner Support Network formerly based in Eugene, Oregon. While this online project shares several of the same concerns as the old Break the Chains collective, no formal organization exists behind the current web presence.

"I will never surrender my pride and dignity nor allow the system to 'cut my tongue' and I will always, without fear, speak out against these war crimes and crimes against humanity, no matter if I spend the rest of my life in a prison cage, and draw my last breath of air laying down in this steel bed surrounded by razor-wire fences and cages, and its prison policies that are designed to destroy one's humanity…."